US COLLEGE NEWS

Northumberland student Darren

Smith pipped in play-off

Darren Smith, a member at Arcot Hall Golf Club, Northumberland and a student at Barton College, Wilson in North Carolina, was beaten at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off climax to the Holiday Inn Express Barton College Invitational at Wilson Country Club.
Smith, pictured right, had tied with Patrick Lamb (Flagler College) on four-under-par 140, Smith scoring 69 and 71, Lamb a pair of 70s. At the second play-off hole, Smith just missed with a 20ft birdie putt but Lamb holed his from 12ft.
Barton College (583) finished second to Flagler College (580) in the team event contested by 13 squads. Colin
Thanks to Darren's dad, Alan, Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk can tell you a bit more about Darren who has never figured in our US College golf reports - for the simple reason we did not know he is English, until Alan Smith E-mailed us with the tip-off.
When at home Darren lives in Cramlington Northumberland
Darren is now 25, he went out to Barton College in August 2007, aged then 22. He is studying accountancy.
He was, as they say, "red shirted" his first year so he could not compete until September 2008.
His best achievement in the UK would have been to be runner-up in the 2009 Northumberland County Championship to Walker Cup player Chris Paisley.
Darren holds the course record at Arcot Hall with a gross 60 achieved in May 2006.

Neil Henderson joint sixth at Pinehurst No 8

Neil Henderson (Old Dominion University) from North Berwick finished joint sixth in a field of 83 players at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate over the No 8 course at Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Neil, a former Scottish schoolboys champion and past winner of the Junior Champion of Champions title, had scores of 76, 69 and 74 for a total of three-over-par 219 and a share of sixth place with team-mate Sam Wall from Essex. Sam had rounds of 71, 70 and 78. They finished six shots behind the winner, Robert Hoadley (UNC Greensboro) who had scores of 70, 72 and 71, one ahead of Mike Moyers (Virginia Tech) with scores of 69, 72 and 72.
Old Dominion had to settle for second place in the team event, four shots behind the winners, Virginia Tech in a field of 15 teams.

James Byrne joint 35th at Southern Highlands

Banchory's James Byrne (Arizona State University) shared 35th place in a field of 79 for the SH Collegiate Masters at Southern Highlands Golf Club, Las Vegas. James had rounds of 81, 75 and 77 for 233.
Garrick Porteous (Tennesse) from Bamburgh Castle shared 37th place on 234 with scores of 77, 79 and 78.
Tennessee team-mate Darren Renwick, from Woking, had rounds of 76, 84 and 80 for a share of 61st place on 240.
Individual winner was Byrne's Arizona State team-mate Jesper Kennegard with 71, 72 and 76 for 219.
UCLA and UNLV, both 899, tied for the team title in a field of 15 teams. Arizona State came sixth with a total of 913.

Matthew Tweddell makes top 10 at Hawaii

Matthew Tweddell, a freshman student from Birmingham and a student at Hawaii Pacific University, finished joint seventh in a field of 22 players at the Kaua Collegiate Cup over the Wailua Golf Club course at Kauai, Hawaii.
Grandson of a former British amateur champion, Tweddell had scores of 76, 75 and 76 for a share of seventh place on 227.
Team-mate Matthew de Moraes from Woodford Green, came joint 10th on 231 with scores of 82, 77 and 72.
Individual winner was Neil Horsley (Western Kentucky with scores of 75, 75 and 71 for 221.

Sammy Vass joint 113th in South Carolina

Sammy Vass from Tain in the North of Scotland, a freshman student at the University of Central Florida, had rounds of 84, 87 and 79 for a total of 250 and a share of 113th place in a field of 123 players at the Tiger Wave Classic women's college tournament at English Turn, New Orleans.
Winner with a total of three-under-par 213 over the 6,132yd course was Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State) with scores of 72, 72 and 69. She won by one stroke from Calle Nielson (Virginia) who shot 73, 72 and 69.
Auburn (889) won the team title ahead of Texas Christian (896). Central Florida (961) finished 22nd of the 23 competing squads.

Hannah joint 63rd in South Carolina

Hannah Coles (Radford University, Virginia) finished joint 63rd in a field of 74 players at the Low Country Intercollegiate women's tournament at Moss Creek Plantation, Hilton Island in South Carolina.
Hannah, who hails from Birmingham and is a member at Maxstoke Park GC, had rounds of 88 and 86 for 174.
Joint winners with identical scores of 74 and 75 for 149 were Jillian Fraccola (Richmond) and Natalie Wille (Augusta State).

Tom Sherreard joint 11th at Tallahassee

Tom Sherreard (Georgia State), a senior year student from Maidstone, tied for 11th place in a field of 75 players at the Seminole Intercollegiate tournament at Golden Eagle Country Club, Tallahassee in Florida.
Over a par-71 course of 7,143yd, Tom had rounds of 70, 74 and 72 for 216 - only four shots behind the joint winners Paul Woodbury (South Carolina) 70, 73 and 69, and Seath Lauer (fForida State) (69-73-70), both on 212.
Florida State (865) won the team title ahead of South Carolina (866) with georgia State (899) 10th of 14 teams.

Adam Galbraith finishes just outside top 10 at Daytona Beach

Adam Galbraith (Webber International), from Haywards Heath, England, shot scores of 75, 81 and 72 for a total of 228 and joint 21st place in the Eagle Invitational college tournament at Pelican Bay Country Club, Daytona Beach in Florida.
Team-mate Connor O'Dell scored 76, 73 and 80 for a share of 26th place on 230. Scott Carmichael (Johnson & Wales-Florida University) from Baberton GC, Edinburgh tied for 40th place with scores of 83, 77 and 74 for 234.
Tom Gamble (Webber International) from Walton on Thams, finished joint 56th on 238 with scores of 83, 83 and 72.
Individual winner by three shots was Drew Matthews (Southeastern University) with scores of 73, 74 and 70 for 217.